Władysław Banaszek - Instytut Pileckiego
Władysław Banaszek was commemorated by Pilecki Institute on 15 September 2020 in Marki.
He lived with his mother Marianna and his sisters Wiktoria and Stanisława in a small house with a garden in Pustelnik, near the Warsaw suburb of Marki. His father, Jan Banaszek, died before the war in 1938. During the occupation, the family led a life of poverty. Looking for sources of income, Władysław’s mother decided to rent out rooms to Jews in hiding. Their tenants included the Feldszuh and Szpak families, who came to the Banaszeks family at the beginning of 1943. Rubin Feldszuh’s daughter Josima was an extremely talented young pianist and composer. Unfortunately, she fell ill with tuberculosis while in the ghetto, and she died in the Banaszek house in April 1943. The Jews found themselves with the Banaszek family thanks to the work of Bolesław Turchetti, the leader of a Polish-Jewish group that organized hiding places. After a few months, the Gestapo began to take interest in the house. The year 1943 turned out to be tragic for the family from Pustelnik as well. In autumn 1943, the head of the village warned Marianna that the Germans knew about the Jews and were planning a search. The families in hiding managed to escape, and the Banaszeks believed that the danger was over. The next day, however, German military policemen surrounded their house, searched the premises and found the empty shelter. Władysław and his sister Stanisława, who were alone at the house at the time, were arrested and taken to a brickyard in Marki, where they were executed.